opportunities in the five years since that time. Since business meetings and conventions comprised 18% of our business in 1980 and and was receiving ever increasing attention because of the increasingly competitive nature of our industry, I can therefore state the basis for saying that Caribbean passengers would increase by at least 18 to 20% if this prohibition were removed.

The U.S. Treasury Department has publicly recognized that the revenue implications in granting tax deductibility to cruise ship meetings and conventions would be negligible. On the other hand, this change would act as an incentive for cruise lines to increase the number of Caribbean cruises and, because of the keen competition among lines, lead to more ports being visited by cruise ships than presently.

Therefore, to allow this tax deductibility for meetings and conventions on cruise ships sailing in the Caribbean basin would be of immediate benefit to the cruise industry and even more to the Caribbean nations.

Source: Section 3 of this Report and CTRC estimates.

Ferdie Martin, our Director of Cruise Shipping has kept us informed of his several discussions with you regarding the development of cruise ship traffic to the Caribbean.

We want you to know that the Cruise Ship segment is a most important part of our Tourist Industry and we in the Government of Jamaica recognize the tremendous value it is to our overall economy.

Cruise Ship passenger arrivals to Jamaica in 1985 were over 260,000 more than 25% of our total visitors.

Ferdie speaks warmly of your consideration at all times and on behalf of my Government we extend our gratitude to you.